New Member Products and Services

Hi to everybody,

I would like to draw the attention of other members of the Food Authenticity network to what we are working on in our SG Isotech company. SGI has developed, patented and validated a new fast and accurate isotopic method for determining the botanical origin of sugar or ethanol. Our new EIM-Module -IRMS technology (Ethanol Isotope Measurement - Module - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) is able to detect illegal manufacturing practices in wine production (detection of added sugar and/or water dilution), to determine the authenticity of fruit juices in the case of freshly squeezed fruit juices that are declared without added sugar or water in comparison to reconstructed fruit juices which are produced from juice concentrate with water dilution, as well as the detection of the presence of diverse sugar syrups in honey.

In addition, our new EIM-Module - IRMS concept gives a better differentiation of measured analyte - ethanol in comparison to NMR and therefore it can be used in most cases without the need of reference isotopic databases for sample comparison. Among other things, for honey authenticity testing EIM-Module-IRMS is the only technique which can give information about quantitative addition of Beet sugar invert syrup to honey.

Now, this new EIM-Module-IRMS technology opens the possibility for laboratories which already use IRMS equipment to give information on wine, fruit juices and honey authenticity which were until now possible to achieve only by means of very expensive NMR testing.

For more information, please jump to our website www.sgisotech.com or you can contact me directly at ivan@sgisotech.com .

Cheers! :)

SwissDeCode has launched the Rapid Intervention Service, a new service that is able to identify the source of a food safety outbreak in one shift. This service brings a team of experts to companies going through a food safety crisis. They do a fast, precise and relevant audit to find the source of contamination, being able to detect the target DNA even after standard cleaning. The first results are provided in one shift, allowing the company to reduce losses. After the source is found, SwissDeCode’s experts will continue to work with the company to improve their monitoring strategy, by combining the SwissDeCode’s DNAFoil technology with their processes. Timings, relevance and efficiency are improved to minimize the risk of another outbreak in the future.

Click here to read the Press Release

SwissDeCode, in partnership with Agroscope, has developed a new solution that is able to verify the autheticity of cheese, through the detection of proof-of-origin bacterial cultures. Although it has been developed and tested on different Swiss cheeses, the solution, which provides results in just one hour, can be also adapted to other types of cheeses.

Complete article in English HERE.

Fish oil supplements have grown in popularity in recent years due to their health benefits and it’s important that testing for fatty acids is consistently accurate to support percentage claims on labels and in product information.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) “food supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet”. The number of substances other than vitamins and minerals used in food supplements in the European market is estimated to be over 400. Some of the most popular are fish oils, probiotics and herbal ingredients. 

Fish oil supplements have grown in popularity in recent years due to their health benefits, leading to rapid expansion in the number of fish oil supplements available and their popularity amongst consumers.
Several studies suggest that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA-omega-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA-omega-3) are beneficial to cardiovascular health. These fatty acids can be found in oily fish like salmon and sardines but also in fish oil supplements typically composed of cod liver oil. It is particularly important that the label claims for EPA and DHA are accurate, since a specific dosage may be required.
Opperman et al. (2011) tested 45 commercially available omega-3 supplements sold in South Africa, and found that 56% and 51% of the supplements failed to meet the lowest range of 89% for EPA and DHA concentrations stated on the label.

CODEX Alimentarius has recently (2017) issued a Standard for Fish oils that applies to the fish oils that are presented in a state for human consumption. According to this standard, Cod liver oil is derived from the liver of wild cod, Gadus morhua L. and other species of Gadidae and the range of fatty acid composition (expressed as % of total fatty acids) should fall within the appropriate range stated in the standard.

With this LGC Proficiency Testing sample laboratories can also demonstrate their ability to directly measure the derivatisation and analysis of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in a 100% fat sample without the need to extract the fat from a complex matrix beforehand. 

The new Sample 806, in the LGC QFCS food chemistry proficiency testing (PT) scheme is designed to support your quality testing for fatty acid determination in fish oil supplements.

This sample is available in our food chemistry proficiency testing scheme for the first time in round FC266 to be despatched 16th June 2018

 Fish oil supplements

References:
Opperman M, Marais DW and Spinnler Benade AJ, Analysis of omega-3 fatty acid content of South African fish oil supplements. Cardiovasc J Southern Afr 22:324–329 (2011).
European Commission, Food supplements, https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/labelling_nutrition/supplements_en  (accessed 1/5/18).

Honey essential composition and quality factors (in line with CODEX standard and EC Directive 2001/110)

QFCS Sample 801  can help establish or confirm the efficacy of this testing and ensure analytical methods are fit-for-purpose.

This sample is available in  food chemistry proficiency testing scheme in round FC264 to be despatched 16 April 2018.

What Proficiency testing materials would you consider as necessary in Food Authenticity testing field?

Authenticity trends

This link is to a short paper on trends, derived from data in Fera's Horizonscan database.  It remains the case that food fraud is no different from fraud in any other sphere: many incidents are straightforward forgeries of expiry dates, certificates of analysis, health certificates and other documentation.